Above All Else
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: The day that one chooses their magic is important, but the day that they get their guild mark can be just as great. - One-shot. Part of the Remember Me series.


Above All Else

It was rarely a day when Mirajane wasn't the first one up in her house. Considering that she had to get up so early to get down to the guildhall (though Laxus frequently told her that was not the case and she herself had been the one to set the rule, therefore she could break it at any time) she typically found that she was alone for a good two hours or so, free to use the bathroom and kitchen without fuss.

That was why, when she opened her eyes that morning to find Laxus, of course, curled up on his side of the bed, still breathing softly, she didn't think anything of it. She even found herself smiling slightly at the sight. That day was one of her seldom mornings off and she figured she'd use it as a chance to sleep in. Say…till seven.

Then she realized what exactly it had been that had woken her up.

"Haven," she groaned when she noticed her daughter at her bedside. Not rolling over to face her, she whispered over her shoulder, "I'm sleeping in today. Come back in-"

"You know what today is?"

"Mmmm…Friday? I don't-"

"Today is the day that Locke gets his guild mark. Which totally isn't fair and-"

"I told you, brat," Laxus grumbled then, shocking both of them. He only rolled onto his stomach though, muffling his voice even more as he faced the pillow. "Locke is a year older than you. You can get your mark too when you're old enough."

"Old enough? How old were you then, La-xus," she asked, separating his name for emphasis. "And I'm way better than Locke at-"

"When you're nine, you get one. Until then-"

"It's not fair!"

"I said that I don't care if it's fair or not," he grumbled. "Although, and I'll only say this once, it totally is. Just gonna make sure you get that. You can't always get what you want."

"Why-"

"He's older, Haven!"

"Laxus," Mirajane sighed. "Why can't you just let Haven have-"

"No, Mira. Because then I'd have to let the Salamander's kid get one and Marin and-"

"So?"

"So? Seriously?" He lifted his head then to glare at her. "So then why not just hand them out to everyone? To babies? To-"

"Now you're sounding crazy."

"You sound crazy," he retorted. "You're always telling me that I give into Haven too much, well, look. Now I've got a rule and she's going to follow it. And here's another, brat. Get out!"

"I hate you," she hissed at him before turning to stomp off. Whatever.

"Laxus," Mirajane sighed as he just shifted again, though then it was to sit on his butt, arms crossed over his chest as he glared at the door Haven had slammed behind her. "Go make up."

"No."

"Laxus-"

"No, Mirajane. I've told her that next year, she can get one. What's so hard to get about that?"

"And what's so hard about-"

"I think we just went over this."

"Laxus-"

"Locke is getting a guild mark because he's going to start taking jobs," the man said. "With his father."

"So? You take Haven out on things when you go places too."

Shaking his head, he said, "It also means that if he wants, he can go out on them. Alone. Which she'll want to do. And I'm not allowing. And besides, I didn't get my mark until I knew damn well what it meant. When I had matured. When-"

"Was that before or after you tried to take over the guildhall?"

"Mira-"

"Because I remember that being pretty immature."

"Shut it, demon," he growled. "She ain't getting one and that's final."

"I get it," she said as, slowly, she snuggled back up to her pillow.

"Get what?"

"You know what."

"Mirajane-"

"You," she said as she gave him her back, "don't want Haven to get a guild mark because it means that she's not a baby anymore."

"No." Snort. "What difference does a damn mark make? Haven hasn't been a baby for a long time. She's a kid. And a real rotten one at that."

"Mmmm. Remember when-"

"No, Mira," he complained. "We're not doing this. We-"

"-you weren't here? For that year?"

"Yeah, demon. Fucking of course I remember that."

"Mmmm. Those were some good months."

"Mira."

"I'm kidding, of course."

Rolling his eyes, he relaxed some, his arms falling from over his chest. "I don't like to think about then."

"Me neither," she said. "Though I do like remembering you coming home. And Haven being so happy to see you."

"She was not," he said with a shake of his head. "She hated me. She didn't know me."

"Well, she grew to love you."

"Why are we talking about this?"

"Because when she was that baby that you wanted to take care of and earn the love of, you always talked about how great of a mage she was going to be," she said. "So let her be it, Lax."

"…Next year."

"Laxus-"

"She's not ready for the responsibility of a guild mark. The end."

"Oh, and Locke is?"

"I think so, yeah."

"Laxus, you have to get why this seems unfair to her."

"It doesn't matter what it seems like, Mirajane. It is what it is. The kids aren't all getting marks just so none of them feel left out."

"You're master," she conceded.

"Yeah, I know. You don't have to remind me."

"Mmmm."

"Mira-"

"Sleeping."

"There have to be rules, Mira. The guild isn't a game. It's serious. It's a business. She doesn't need to get her mark yet. And she doesn't need to go on jobs. She's still learning her magic and growing up and…and… I'm Master, damn it! If I say that she's not getting it, she's not! So there!"

But Mirajane wasn't listening anymore it seemed. And, well, he couldn't fall back asleep. Stupid Haven, messing up his day already.

When he got out of bed, he immediately headed to go take a shower before making the girls' breakfast. It was rare that he was the one to do it, but with Mira apparently taking the morning off, what choice did he have?

"I like Mommy's eggs better."

"Yeah, Mar, I know," he sighed as his youngest daughter frowned down at the runny eggs he'd put on her plate. "But she's sleeping, so just work with me, alright? And Haven, eat."

She turned her head up, refusing to look at him as she kept her arms, not even picking at the food.

"I mean it, Haven."

"She's mad," Marin told him, sniffling some. She almost always had a stuffy nose. "'cause you're being mean."

"I am not being mean," he grumbled as he came to take a seat with his girls at the table. "So hush."

"Are too," Haven mumbled under her breath.

"How? Huh? I'm the Master and-"

"I'm the Master," the blonde mocked, taking a deeper tone. It made her younger sister giggle. "I'm Laxus Dreyar. I'm the best ever, but no one understands it. I'm better than anyone who ever lived and-"

"Haven," he growled. "You're being a brat."

"And you're being mean," she countered. "Locke's gonna hold this over my head for a whole year? Really, Laxus?"

"The boy never holds anything over you. You just imagine that he does," he said. "Just like you imagine that he's the one that starts all of your fights."

"He is."

"Haven."

"It's not fair."

"Life isn't fair."

"Laxus-"

"I've already explained to you just how it is fair," he said. "Locke is older and-"

"And? I'm your daughter, not him."

"I can't play favorites," he told her. "In the guild, no bloodline trumps another. All of you are-"

"Whatever." She shoved up from the table and stomped off. Laxus just rolled his eyes before looking at Marin. She was keeping her head down, clearly not wanting him to argue with her too. But he rarely did. He wouldn't even raise his voice around her typically.

"What?" he asked when she wouldn't look up at him. "Marin?"

"Mmmm…Haven's really mad."

"Haven's a brat."

Nodding, the younger one looked up at him and said, "I think that guild marks are pretty."

"They're not pretty, Marin. And they're not a game. It's a serious thing. Very serious."

She went back to her eggs then. "I just like for Haven not to be mad."

"Yeah, well, tough, Marin. She can't get every little thing that she wants."

"But you're Master, huh?'

"You know I am."

"Then how come-"

"It's like I said," he told her. "You guys aren't anymore important than Locke is just because-"

"You like Locke as much as me?"

"What? No, silly. It just means-"

"I love you more than Locke."

"I love you more too. I don't…love Locke to begin with." Why did he ever even try to explain things to her? She never seemed to understand. "But in a guild-"

"I love you with or without the guild."

"Marin, you're killin' me, kid."

She looked up at him again. "I don't like your eggs, Daddy."

"I know. I'll make 'em better next time, okay?"

With a nod, she said, "Can I go see Aunt Ever today?"

"Evergreen's out on a job. And so is Elfman. And Lisanna's been busy with the baby. So no. You're gonna go to the guildhall with me." Then, pausing, he said, "I won't be there for long though. And we can come back home eventually."

"And play?"

"Maybe."

Giggling then, she said, "Really play? Or are you gonna teach Haven magic?"

"I don't know, Marin," he sighed. "The way things are looking right now, I'm not going to be doing much of anything with your sister. She keeps talking back to me this way-"

"You'll do nothing, like you always do, and I'll come in and punish her only for you to say that it was too stiff a punishment and take her right back off it." His wife came into the room just to bother him it seemed. "Huh, dragon?"

Growling as she laid a hand on his shoulder, he asked, "I thought that you were going to stay in bed and sleep some, Mira?"

"Nope." She even kissed his head. Like he was a woman or something. Shrugging her off, he just glared.

"Haven's bein' bad," Marin said as her mother came to brush her lips against the child's similar white locks. "Again."

"I know. She needs a good talking to, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I-"

"Leave her alone, Mirajane," Laxus grumbled as he kept on glaring at her. "I'm handling it."

"Handling it?"

"Yeah. I am," he said with a slight grumble. "And I thought you were on her side, back in the bedroom?"

"I'm not on any side, Laxus. I think that she should get her mark, but if you say no, then you say no. You always let her act like she controls what we do. She doesn't." Then, as an afterthought, Mira said, "Or she shouldn't."

Marin, still staring up at her mother, said, "Daddy loves Locke. And me."

"I do not." The man frowned. "I mean, I love you, but not-"

"Awe, Laxus." Mira bounced right back over to him, squeezing one of his cheeks. "You're such a cute and loving master, aren't you?"

"Demon," he growled. "Let go of my cheek!"

"So cute." Another kiss to his head along with more giggles from Marin. Sigh. Maybe he should be glad that Haven was so aggressive. It beat having another one of the white haired wonders around. He didn't think he could deal with three of them.

After breakfast, Mira took a quick shower before heading down to the hall, taking Marin with her. Which, he would like to point out, was way before her shift even started. But hey, if the demon wanted to work, he wouldn't stop her. So long as it kept her out of his hair for a bit.

That though left one person very much so in his hair and also sneaking around the house, no doubt hoping to kill him and declare usurper rights.

Stranger things had happened.

Especially in his guild.

"Hey, brat," he called out eventually after fixing a few things around the house (the sink had been leaking in the bathroom, the shower drain was getting rather clogged, and there were a few lights that needed changing) and finding that he had better get down to the guild. "We're leaving. Come on."

He found her in her room where, to his surprise, she'd been very busy.

"Laxus," she greeted as he came into the bedroom that she shared with her younger sister. "I wrote you a list."

"A list, huh?" Why wasn't he enthused. "On?"

She jumped up from her bed, rushing over to give him the sheet of paper which was filled with a multitude of bullet points ranging from how much of a butt head Locke was to how she was his protégé and, there for, he should want her to succeed.

"I think you'll rather enjoy number twelve."

He glanced at it then at her. "Locke is not, and I will say it again, a secret spy from Sabertooth."

"How can we be sure, Laxus?"

"Well, for one, I've known his parents for years and he is one of your only friends. And more importantly, what would they be spying on? And why would he need a guild mark to-"

She stomped her foot. "You're not taking this seriously!"

"Number twelve proves that you're not either. Although," he said, glancing over it again, "you have some pretty great penmanship, kid."

"Laxus-"

"I've spoken, brat." He folded up the paper and stuck it in his pocket before looking her dead in the eyes. "You can't have it yet. I'm sorry. I-"

"Then I won't join your guild."

"Haven-"

"I'll go join a guild that appreciates me and-"

"Stop it. Now."

"No!"

Huffing slightly, he said, "What do you want me to do? I made Locke wait until he was this old. How could I possibly let you join before then?"

"Age shouldn't matter! I'm just as good a mage as he is."

"Haven-"

"No, Laxus. Gramps let you join and become an S-Class before a lotta people. But you won't even let me join the guild? You suck!"

With a frown, he reached over and flicked her in the head.

"Hey!"

"Listen up, brat," he growled, glaring then. "You ain't gettin' it. End of story. Cry now. Get it all out. Then you're going to march your butt down to the guildhall, watch your friend get the guild mark, and be a good girl about it. Because he'd be that way with you if the roles were reversed and you know it. That boy and the Salamander's daughter are both a lot better friend to you than you ever are to them. And, well, I ain't raising a selfish brat…anymore. So you wanna be a grownup? Fine. Grow up and accept that you can't have everything that you want."

Needless to say, Laxus had lost Haven's vote for father of the year. Then again, he probably hadn't had it since she was about four, so that was no shock. Marin though, as he found out when they got to the guildhall, was very happy with him. Mainly because she thought that he had come to rescue her from the boredom that was being young and trapped in the guildhall.

"You gonna sit in my lap all day, kid?" he asked her as, not soon after he got there to look over some letters and papers, she moved to climb up there.

"Can I?"

"Mmmhmm."

Haven was off pouting somewhere, he knew, but that was only because Locke hadn't shown up yet. He saw Navi around earlier, Natsu's stupid pink haired brat, and figured she was off licking her wounds with the other child.

Whatever. He was done with her for the day.

"Hi, Laxus," Mira greeted as she came to bring him his standard beer along with a juice for their daughter. "Are you taking care of your daddy, Marin?"

She was quick to nod. "He's working. Shhh."

"How is it," he grumbled as he reached out to pick up his beer, "that the kid knows this, Mirajane, and you don't?"

"Oh, I know. I just don't care."

There it was. Their whole relationship. Right there. In two sentences. Amazing.

But Locke's arrival saved him from having to bother with Mirajane anymore. Lifting Marin from his lap, he gave her the juice before patting her on the head.

"Go play with your sister," he said, pushing her off before calling out in a louder voice for Locke to come over.

From across the guildhall, Haven was watching that all, at a table with her other friend, Navi.

"So you're not even a little happy?" the pink haired girl asked the blonde. "For Locke?"

"No," she said. "Would you be happy for me if I got ice cream and you didn't?"

"I guess."

"No, you wouldn't."

"Why'd you ask then?"

Still just glowering over at her father, Haven said, "He's doing this to punish me. He thinks that he can just do whatever he wants because he's the Master. But won't he be shocked when I get older and stronger than him and take over?"

Laxus, over with Locke, felt a shiver run up his spine and sneezed. Glaring around, he grumbled about catching a cold or something. The boy just stared at him though.

"So I get my stamp then?" he asked, trying hard to not sound like he was excited. His father told him that he had to seem indifferent. Like a man. Gajeel said that men didn't show their emotions easily. Especially ones like the Master. "Now?"

Grunt. Then Laxus looked over at where his wife was standing behind the bar.

"Go tell Mira where you want it and what color," he said. "Then go pick your first job. Your father going with you?"

He was quick to nod before taking off into a sprint over to the bar. And, with a groan, Laxus took his seat again. There. It was over with. And Haven could hate him for a few days and then she could go back to just disliking him.

Or at least he thought.

"Hey! Laxus!"

"Natsu," he heard not soon after. That was from Lucy, of course, who was always more cautious than her husband. "Just leave it alone."

"No!" He came to slam his fists down on Laxus' table, making his mug jump. The Master just stared at him though, as blank and deadpan as ever. "Laxus, we gotta talk."

"I'm not fighting you," the man said simply. "I'm having a shit day and I don't feel like getting blood on my jacket. It is hell for the demon to get out and-"

"Why does Gajeel's kid get a mark and Navi don't?"

Oh. Laxus was even less interest.

"Because I said so. And, oh, what's that? I'm the Master?"

Natsu just glared. "What did Gajeel pay you for this, huh?"

"No one paid me anything!"

"You know he's just doing this to get back at me."

"Shockin' as it is, Salamander," Gajeel grumbled from a table near by. "I don't think about your sorry face nearly as much as you do mine."

"Ha! Jokes on you," Natsu said, glaring over at him too. "I don't think about you at all!"

"How is that getting back at me? You-"

"The point," Natsu said as looked back at his master, "is that Navi deserves…uh…err…"

"A guild mark," Laxus prompted.

"So you agree with me."

"What?"

"You said-"

"I was just finishing your thought!"

"Which means that you have the same thought."

"What? No. I-"

"Dad," they heard then as they were joined over at the table by Natsu's daughter and Haven. Navi just frowned at her father though. "What are you doing?"

"I'm gettin' you into the guild," he said. "I-"

"I don't wanna be in the guild."

Laxus frowned. "Is this place really that unattractive these days?"

Shaking her head, Navi said, "You said no, Master. To wait. Like Locke."

"See? Your kid ain't nearly as stupid as you," Laxus told the other slayer. Natsu just frowned down at Navi.

"But that's not fair," he told her.

"Yeah," Haven agreed. "For me. Not you though, Navi. You should have to wait until I get it."

"You don't care about it being fair," Navi told her father, even crossing her arms. "You just want me to get it 'cause Locke got it and you don't want Locke's daddy to have something over you."

"Well, yeah. Why else would I-"

"You're really not good with your kid, are you?" Laxus asked. "I mean, I'm horrible with mine. She hates me."

"I do," Haven agreed. "A lot!"

"But at least I don't push my own desires off on her," he said.

"I feel like you do that."

"Shut up, Haven."

"You shut up!"

Natsu just stared down at his daughter. "I just want you to be a part of the guild. Why's that a bad thing?"

"It's not. But-"

"What's with everyone and thinking that this is some sort of rite of passage or something?" Laxus wasn't done complaining, apparently. "It's not. It's not a game. It's not something for kids. It's for serious mages. Who are here to do serious work. And-"

"How is Locke more serious than Navi?" Natsu asked.

"Better question," Gajeel challenged. "How is Natsu more serious than Navi?"

"See?" The Salamander nodded at the dark haired slayer. "Gajeel gets it."

Growling then, Laxus jumped up. "What is it with you guys? Huh? I'm Master. Get it? What I say goes. That's the way that it is. There's not-"

"Laxus." Mirajane called over from the bar. "Go take a breather, huh?"

"No, demon," he said, not even looking back at her. "I'm not gonna take a breather. What? Am I the only one here that thinks that it shouldn't be such a joke? Huh? Should all the kids just get damn guild marks to make them feel better about themselves? Huh?"

No one said anything though Laxus did have everyone in the guild's attention. Lucy did get up though, to go drag Natsu off, before he ticked the man off further.

"I don't got a problem with it," Gray spoke up eventually. "No. I mean, we all came here young. There isn't an age limit on being a mage. If they wanna be an official part of the guild, you should let them."

"Oh, and I guess you just all agree with him, right?" Still, Laxus wasn't getting much of a crowd response. Growling once more, he turned to walk off. "Fine! All of you get marks. Get two. Get five! Five guild marks for everyone. Whatever."

It was Mirajane, of course, that eventually had to excuse herself and go after her husband. She found him out on the balcony on the second floor that over looked the grounds. He was standing up against the railing, glaring out at the sky and, with a sigh, she went to work on him.

"Dragon," she cooed as she came up behind him. "Does the demon need to make you feel better?"

Staring wearily at her as she came to stand at his side, Laxus said simply, "If by that you mean do I want a blow, sure. If not, leave me alone."

"Laxus-"

"Just go, Mira," he grumbled, staring back out over the town once more. "I wanna be alone."

"Why are you so bent out of shape by all of this? It's not like all the kids weren't going to join the guild anyhow."

"You're missing the point," he told her. "This isn't just something that people do. This is something that you deeply consider and-"

"You always try to make the guild more serious than it is."

"And the rest of you are constantly trying to under play it," he challenged. "I don't think you get, Mira, that jobs are dangerous. Guilds are dangerous. They're not just for kids to come and play around in. They-"

" _I_ don't get how dangerous guilds can be? Really, Lax?"

He just frowned at her. "You know what I mean."

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "I don't think I do. I mean, what are you trying to say, Laxus? That Master shouldn't have let us all in when we were young? Or that-"

"I'm not saying that at all! But our kids don't need the guild. Not like all of you did," he reasoned. "And besides, you weren't as young as Navi and Haven when you joined."

"No, but if I had been, do you think that your grandfather would have turned me away? Huh?"

"Mira-"

"It's your guild, Master," she told him, not using the title as an insult for once. "And you can run it however you want. I just hope that you don't start taking it and yourself too seriously. The guild has always been a family, above all else. Don't forget that, huh?"

Then she kissed his cheek because, well, she was the demon, she could do that, before turning to walk off.

"I have to go give the kids all their marks."

"What? Mira-"

"You spoke in anger, but they listened in truth."

"What?"

"They don't understand sarcasm," she explained. "I have to go help Marin pick a color."

"No." He turned to glare at her. "I said nothing about Marin getting-"

"You said everyone, Lax."

"I wasn't being serious!"

Mira just shrugged. "Well- Hey, Haven."

The little girl was walking out there too then and Laxus faced forward once more. The last thing he wanted right then was to argue some more with her. Literally the last thing.

With a giggle though, his wife left the two of them alone and it seemed that there was no way for Laxus to get around it.

"What, brat?" he grumbled as she came to stand next to him. "Shouldn't you be down there getting your-"

"You told me no."

"Yeah, what else is knew, huh?"

Still, she just kept staring up at him. "I'm not gonna get it if you're gonna act like a baby about it."

He blinked. Then he frowned and turned to look down at her.

"Me?" he asked in shock. "I'm the one that's acting like a baby? Seriously, Haven?"

"You threw a fit and ran away," she said. "Just like Marin would. Or Navi."

"I didn't run away," he growled. "This is my damn guildhall! I can go into any part of it that I want."

"Don't throw another fit. You big baby."

"Haven-"

"Why did you get so angry?" she asked. "It was just stupid Navi and her stupid dad. Can you not even deal with him anymore, Laxus?"

"I'm angry, Haven, because you are always trying to undermine me. I'm your father. Your master! And-"

"I said that I wasn't getting the stupid guild mark. So why are you still crying about it?"

"I'm not crying," he grumbled. "And what do you mean that you're not getting one? The Salamander's brat and yoru sister both are. So-"

"So?" She stuck her tongue out at him. "I don't want one anymore."

"Haven-"

"I said that I don't want one! And you said that you don't want me to get one anyways! So why are we arguing?"

"Because, kid, I don't get why you're-"

"You said no."

"I always say no. Since when does that make a difference to you?"

She didn't know. And, turning, she looked out over the guildhall grounds as well.

"I don't do things just to make you mad."

'Yes, you do."

"No," she said. "Sometimes I do them just 'cause I want to."

Snort. Then, "I just want to make this guild great is all. Not only strong, but…"

"It is great," she told him.

"Oh? Is it?"

Nodding, she leaned over the railing and spit over the side of it. Then she said, "It's better than a lotta other places, at least."

"At least."

Laxus could tell though that Haven must have really thought that they'd all hurt his feelings for her to be that concerned with him. She must have stayed out there with him for over an hour. They didn't talk about guild marks again, but she did tell him a few times about how great some other places were. Like Mermaid Heel. Where there were no stinking boys around to bother with.

When they went downstairs, Locke came rushing over to Haven almost immediately to show off his black guild mark, right there on his left shoulder, matching his father.

"Cool, huh?" he asked as Navi slowly approached to show hers too, more scared of the Master seeing it than Haven, it seemed. Laxus just patted her on the head as he passed though and didn't say anything about the pink one she sported on her right shoulder.

Going over to the bar, Laxus immediately went over to Marin. She was sitting up there, talking to her mother, and giggled as he lifted her up before sitting her down in his lap.

"What are you guys talking about?" he asked as his daughter sat up tall and looked up at him.

Mirajane grinned at him. "Marin still doesn't know where to get her mark."

"No one said she could get one."

"Laxus-"

"Where do you think you want it, Marin?" he asked. "Huh?"

"Mmmm… Right here!" She patted her chest. "Like Aunt Ever."

Laxus paled. "Uh, no, let's pick somewhere else."

"How come?"

"Yeah, Lax," Mira asked, grinning at him. "How come?"

"Just," he said with a frown, "pick another place."

"I want it where Mommy and Aunt Lissy have it then," she said, moving to pat at her pants. "Right here. On my leg."

He set his jaw. "No."

"Daddy-"

"No."

"How come?"

"How about you not get one at all? Huh?"

"I want it here." She went back to pressing on her chest. "Or where Mommy has it."

"No."

"Why not?" Marin wasn't backing down on that one for some reason. "Daddy? You gots it on your chest too, huh?"

"Well, yeah, but I'm a boy."

"So?"

"So, Laxus?' Mira wasn't making things easy for him. "Why can't she-"

"You're gonna get it here," he said, patting her arm. "Just for now. When you get older, hopefully, I'll have thought of a better excuse."

"I don't get why her leg is as bad as her chest," Mira remarked as the girl just stared up at him. "Laxus."

"You know why."

"I do not."

"It's…just as naughty." He was trying hard to keep things clean. "And you know it, Mira."

"Only if you make it that way."

"Well, I am. So she's getting it on her arm."

"Roll up your sleeve, baby," Mira told her as she went to get the stamp. "What color? Huh?"

"White," she told her. Duh.

Something occurred to Laxus then and, with a frown, he said, "Wait a minute, Mirajane. Marin doesn't even know any magic. She can't get a mark! She-"

"She's gonna work in the hall with me when she gets older," Mirajane told him. "Aren't you, baby?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Not behind the bar she's not."

"Laxus-"

"I wanna be like Mommy," Marin told him.

"Mommy is a mage. She's just seems to forget that sometimes."

"Which arm?" Mirajane was ignoring her husband, it seemed. "Marin?"

"This one!" She shifted in Laxus lap so that her mother could stamp her right arm. "Please."

Haven, Navi, and Locke were debatable, but Marin was definitely too young to join the guild. Laxus knew that much.

But…other than Lisanna and Bickslow, no one else seemed to be popping out any kids anytime soon, so maybe he could make just one exception. She was his baby, after all. Above all else.

"What, they heard suddenly from behind them, "are you doing?"

"Look, Haven." Marin was quick to jump down. "I gots-"

"Laxus," the blonde growled. "Why-"

"Calm down," he sighed before nodding at his wife. "Set the brat up too, huh? It's fine. She can have one. Just not in any of those places I specified!" If there was any rule he was keeping, it was that one. "I'll be downstairs, Mira, in the book room. Dealing with serious stuff. I can't get any work done up here with all these distractions!"

Still, Marin rushed to hug her father and Haven didn't look as weepy as she'd been earlier in the day. Maybe he wasn't the best father in the world, but he certainly didn't feel like the worst either.

"You really like it being back there?" Laxus asked Haven as they walked home later that day, Marin riding on his shoulders. "Haven?"

"What?" she complained. "You don't like where I got it either?"

"No," he was quick to say. On her back? Out of sight? And not at all sexualized like Ever's or Mirajane's? "I just mean that no one will ever see it."

"So?" she asked. "Maybe I don't ever want anyone to."

Glancing at her, he said, "Well, I think it's cute, anyhow."

"What's cute?"

"That you and Locke got the same color. Black. Very cute, in fact."

"I didn't do it to- Shut up!"

"Oh? Did you do it to match mine then? Even cuter."

"I hate you, Laxus," she growled, shoving at him as Marin just kept patting at his head.

"Yeah," Laxus sighed, reaching over to pat his oldest on the head. "I know, brat. I know."

* * *

 **I started on this one awhile ago, but figured I'd never post it, since it didn't matter much where or how they got their marks, but after the last chapter of Retribution, I figured it was relevant and went back to finish it. I'd place this somewhere between Magic and Festivals and Party of the Century.**


End file.
